Seattle Mariners Reunite With Dominic Leone, Claim Reliever Off Waivers From Angels

Dominic Leone is headed back to the Seattle Mariners, where he made his MLB debut in 2014, after getting waved by the Los Angeles Angels.

The Seattle Mariners have claimed right-handed relief pitcher Dominic Leone off waivers, according to multiple reports Thursday.

The Los Angeles Angels waived Leone on Tuesday – along with starting pitcher Lucas Giolito, outfielders Hunter Renfroe and Randal Grichuk and relievers Matt Moore and Reynaldo López – in an attempt to get under the luxury tax. The Cleveland Guardians claimed Giolito, Moore and López, while the Cincinnati Reds snagged Moore, leaving Grichuk as the only one of the bunch returning to Anaheim as of Thursday.

Leone initially arrived in Los Angeles as part of a trade with the New York Mets back on Aug. 1. He is 1-3 with a 4.74 ERA in 42 appearances in 2023.

Over the course of his 10-year career, Leone has played with eight different organizations at the major league level.

The Mariners actually selected Leone in the 16th round of the 2012 MLB Draft, and promoted him to the big leagues for his MLB debut in 2014. Midway through his sophomore season, though, Leone was sent to the Arizona Diamondbacks as part of a package that brought back slugger Mark Trumbo.

Leone bounced around from the Diamondbacks to the Toronto Blue Jays, St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Indians and San Francisco Giants before signing with the Mets in May. He started 2023 on a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers.

In 395 career appearances, Leone boasts a 3.81 ERA and 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings.

The Mariners are 76-57 with a month left in the regular season, which has them tied for first place in the AL West. A 21-6 record in August has helped the team improve their playoff odds to 82.6%, according to FanGraphs.

Seattle's bullpen ranks third in the league with a 3.41 ERA, as well as 10th in WHIP at 1.26.

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